Where to start?

[57andFAT]

Hello,
As my screen name suggests 57 years old, male and overweight.
I found this forum as a result of my main 'health problem' which only recently manifested, that being sudden loss of libido and more-or-less complete ED.
I visited my local GP (and a second one for a second opinion) and was given a standard medical examination including a full blood test. They both advised me that all of my blood results were 'normal', but my loss of libido could be explained by being 'under stress' (recently divorced which was also a spin-off of the low libido and ED and more recently: became unemployed). The first doctor said that I need to look at my diet and maybe do some exercise. I admitted that I led what would definitely be termed a 'sedentary lifestyle'.

So I started walking everyday - LONG brisk walking, including spurts of jogging. After doing this for a few weeks I had to stop, because I could no longer put my shoes on due to sudden and severe lower leg pitting edema in both legs!

It was when I was researching the cause of this edema that I found Ray Peat's articles about salt and from there, this forum.
I have gained weight rather rapidly over the past 3 months also.
I am totally confused now.
I NEVER used salt (I'd been educated from an early age that too much salt caused heart disease etc - complete BS I now realize). I almost never ate 'junk food' or processed foods either, thus my sodium intake would have been, I believe, very low even by 'mainstream' medical standards.
I started consuming salt - 2 tsp per day (after reading Ray Peat's articles) but this had no effect on my edema, so I stopped. I resumed it again this week thinking I have nothing to lose.

My normal weight was around 72 - 74 Kg, but now its over 80 Kg and steadily increasing. I am 5' 10" tall.
I also invested in a thermometer and my temp is always between 35.2 and at best 36.6 deg C. I think Ray Peat would say that's very low?

I kind of understand the basic principles of Ray Peat's diets, however it is EXTREMELY technical and the more I read, the more confused I become (and feel even more hopeless).
I am at the stage now where I think I am just too old and might as well accept it - the status-quo regarding being old...
Old men are more often than not overweight, especially with abdominal fat and often end up being impotent or asexual as well.

I am VERY depressed about everything - the Drs even suggested that depression might be the reason for my sexual problems.
There seems to be a general theme here that hypothyroidism is behind many health problems, but I don't even know how to find out if I am a victim of that or not.

I went to the Dr about 3 years ago suspecting I had that (hypothyroid) and had my blood tested, but he said my thyroid was 'normal'. However I had very low red blood count, so he gave my a 2 month prescription of iron tablets. About a year later the same - another 2 month course of iron. On both occasions, red blood cell count returned to normal... (Still don't know why it was low and why iron fixed it though)?
They always say, "oh your getting older", which explains nothing really, as I KNOW I am getting older! So frustrating - because what they are really saying is they don't know what's wrong with me because I appear to be in good health...
He also said that after quitting smoking (I had recently quit - over 3 years ago), that my metabolism will slow down and weight gain is normal...
Ok Doc that's great, but hey, I don't want to be fat, is there any way I can return my metabolism back to what it was when I was a smoker? (Standard useless answer: "You're getting older") Grrrrrrrrr!
From what I've gleaned here I think I probably do have hypothyroidism, but have no idea how to proceed.

I can probably live with being fat, but Low libido and ED are the final straw for me!

What if anything, can I do

 

[Anne]

Hello!!

I'm really new here and reading Peat articles or information around, so I will not be very helpful. But I wanted to push you to investigate about all your symptoms even if doctors say "everything is OK, it's just aging" because I have had similar experiences with doctors. Reading your post I have thought about hormone imbalances, and then at the end I have seen that you have already thought about thyroid problems. Follow that path, look if you have more symptoms that could be related to hormones issues.

Cheer up!

 

[Agent207]

First is understanding basic concepts about thyroid. Get the books STTM, and check organizing the panic from Roddy. Be careful with the interpretation of Peat's work since it can be a double edge sword for health, its a bit tricky and extremely context dependent when applying to real world, beyond NO PUFAS.

 

[answersfound]

post 112284 First is understanding basic concepts about thyroid. Get the books STTM, and check organizing the panic from Roddy. Be careful with the interpretation of Peat's work since it can be a double edge sword for health, its a bit tricky and extremely context dependent when applying to real world, beyond NO PUFAS.

I wouldn't recommend these books. Those two will make it more complicated than it needs to be. I would go with this...

http://www.amazon.com/Hypothyroidism-Un ... oda+barnes

If you want to experiment with Thyroid Glandular like Broda Barnes used you can try this product:

http://www.functionalnutritionsupplemen ... l7x9WBNvww

 

[GauchoMax]

I agree with Agent207, everything beyond «no PUFA» is harder to swallow as scientific facts.

I tend to believe going low-fat would enhance the ability of the body to heal, but there is no hard evidence beyond the anecdotal n=1 [There's a few forum posters claiming going low-fat accelerated wildly their recovery], and a rat study. Maybe a low-fat diet works by depleting PUFA faster, thus upregulating endogenous antixodiants ?

 

[Agent207]

post 112285

post 112284 First is understanding basic concepts about thyroid. Get the books STTM, and check organizing the panic from Roddy. Be careful with the interpretation of Peat's work since it can be a double edge sword for health, its a bit tricky and extremely context dependent when applying to real world, beyond NO PUFAS.

I wouldn't recommend these books. Those two will make it more complicated than it needs to be. I would go with this...

http://www.amazon.com/Hypothyroidism-Un ... oda+barnes

That one is highly recommended as essential on STTM, and credits the figure of Mr.Barnes above all. STTM is a very basic lecture for starters, and the one who alerted the most on thyroid issues and the medical community fails on diagnosing thyroid function, giving the importance it deserved.

 

[tara]

57

post 112279 I went to the Dr about 3 years ago suspecting I had that (hypothyroid) and had my blood tested, but he said my thyroid was 'normal'.

Drs commonly go by some established ranges that can include a lot of people suffering hypothyroid states. Eg TSH up to 4 or 5ish, depending on country. Peat has said few people with TSH over 2 are really healthy, and under 1 is probably better. Other lab values and signs and symptoms can also help clarify.

post 112279 I also invested in a thermometer and my temp is always between 35.2 and at best 36.6 deg C. I think Ray Peat would say that's very low?

This seems lowish, and may well suggest low thyroid function.

post 112279 I NEVER used salt (I'd been educated from an early age that too much salt caused heart disease etc - complete BS I now realize). I almost never ate 'junk food' or processed foods either, thus my sodium intake would have been, I believe, very low even by 'mainstream' medical standards.

I was convinced by low-salt ideas for a few years, too.

post 112279 I kind of understand the basic principles of Ray Peat's diets, however it is EXTREMELY technical and the more I read, the more confused I become (and feel even more hopeless).

I find the articles have taken a bit of reading and rereading, and I always get more out of them. But the interviews are easier going - simpler - so if you haven't tried listening to/reading them, I'd recommend. I also found one of Roddy's books helpful as a summary of some key hormone interactions.

post 112279 However I had very low red blood count, so he gave my a 2 month prescription of iron tablets. About a year later the same - another 2 month course of iron. On both occasions, red blood cell count returned to normal... (Still don't know why it was low and why iron fixed it though)?

Anemia can have several causes, of which iron deficiency is one. Other deficiencies can also contribute. I think iron can stimulate formation of more RBCs even if you weren't iron deficient to start with (so can arsenic, apparently). Did you have iron tests that showed you were deficient, or was the dr just throwing iron at it and hoping?

post 112279 So I started walking everyday - LONG brisk walking, including spurts of jogging. After doing this for a few weeks I had to stop, because I could no longer put my shoes on due to sudden and severe lower leg pitting edema in both legs!

Bad luck. Are you able to keep doing something? At least short gentle walks with no running? I think some regular movement is good, but overdoing it when you are not fit for it can be a stress on the system. Or something else you enjoy, eg learn to dance, or yoga, or something else fun?

What have you tried so far?
What is your current diet like - typically what and how much?
What were you doing before you found Peat's ideas?
Did your weight/fat gain coincide with increasing food intake, or only with stopping smoking?

I'd favour starting out by checking some nutrition basics:
- minimise PUFA
- adequate protein - eg 80-100g, maybe a bit more if you feel good for it.
- favour fruits and roots and milk over large amounts of grains and legumes
- eat enough carbs and often enough to not spend too much time in low sugar stress. How often this is varies from person to person, eg depending on glycogen storage etc.
- limit or avoid raw cabbage etc, which can have some actively goitrogenic effects.
-If there are foods you notice that aggravate your gut, see if you do better leaving them out for a little while (as long as you can still get enough food)

Get regular sunshine and sleep if possible.
Is your breathing generally relaxed, diaphragmatic, and nasal? At night too? Chronic low level (often unnoticed) hyperventilation can contribute to metabolic issues buy lowering CO2 levels too much.

 

[marikay]

Hi 57andFAT. I'm female but also came to Ray Peat in my 50's (early). I got here by way of a frozen shoulder that nothing would fix and that I suffered with for over a year. And then almost by accident, I found a product (ProgestE) developed by Ray. I used the product once and the frozen shoulder got better immediately and has never returned.

After that, I started slowly on the Ray Peat adventure and I started by reading some of the articles on Ray's website. The best ones for me at first were the articles on coconut oil and the dangers of polyunsaturated fats. Being a little bit older than some, I could remember a time when potato chips were fried in coconut oil and french fries were fried in beef tallow. And persons who ate a lot of these things (e.g. me) were very thin. Salt was also something I had eaten a lot of as a young person and have, since finding Ray, put back into my diet in a big way. Ray has never said this directly but I'm sure you could draw a direct correlation between the rise of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. and the rise of polyunsaturated fats in the American diet.

At first i skimmed over the more scientific explanations in the articles and stopped when I got to the suggestions he gives. The more I follow Ray's suggestions, the better I feel and the younger I look. Libido is an important part of this whole thing. So now I pretty much have read every one of Ray's website articles all the way through and have a pretty good understanding of the science and philosophy behind it all.

I found this forum a couple of years later. Aside from some silly disagreements from time to time, this site has been extremely helpful and worth looking at several times a week. Nonetheless, I recommend starting with the website. Or, barring that, starting with the email depository that exists here.

Good luck. I'm sure you are on your way to better.

 

[ecstatichamster]

Testosterone production competes with cortisol production. I believe that lowering cortisol production increases T levels for men. T is the main hormone of sexual drive for men and women.

ED is also caused by physiological desensitization that can be made better with a program of no masturbation, no porn, and spending time with a new girlfriend to build up oxytocin which is great for erections. The way we have learned to have sex often doesn't serve us well especially as we get older.

 

[michael94]

Hey there, in addition to all the info posted above....

I would like to make a suggestion to you: High Dose Taurine 2-8g a day depending on how it makes you feel

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25957528

post 112431 Testosterone production competes with cortisol production. I believe that lowering cortisol production increases T levels for men. T is the main hormone of sexual drive for men and women.

ED is also caused by physiological desensitization that can be made better with a program of no masturbation, no porn, and spending time with a new girlfriend to build up oxytocin which is great for erections. The way we have learned to have sex often doesn't serve us well especially as we get older.

In my experience, semen retention benefits is more related to the nutrient requirements of semen production and ejaculating can exacerbate a sluggish metabolism. If you're running like a well oil machine and getting shellfish regularly the benefits of semen retention goes towards 0. Agree on avoiding porn for obvious reasons

 

[answersfound]

post 112436 Hey there, in addition to all the info posted above....

I would like to make a suggestion to you: High Dose Taurine 2-8g a day depending on how it makes you feel

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25957528

post 112431 Testosterone production competes with cortisol production. I believe that lowering cortisol production increases T levels for men. T is the main hormone of sexual drive for men and women.

ED is also caused by physiological desensitization that can be made better with a program of no masturbation, no porn, and spending time with a new girlfriend to build up oxytocin which is great for erections. The way we have learned to have sex often doesn't serve us well especially as we get older.

In my experience, semen retention benefits is more related to the nutrient requirements of semen production and ejaculating can exacerbate a sluggish metabolism. If you're running like a well oil machine and getting shellfish regularly the benefits of semen retention goes towards 0. Agree on avoiding porn for obvious reasons

I completely agree. Masturbation should be completely stopped when hypothyroid. The body just cannot handle the increase in prolactin in this low metabolic state. A man who Is hypothyroid is not worthy of spreading his seed and pro-creating. It is not advantageous to evolution. Most men are masturbating out of habit. And to reduce stress hormones from being hypothyroid. Chinese medicine compares masturbation to a form of suicide. Sometimes I wonder if the entire NoFap community is seeing success from stopping masturbation because they are coming out of a hypothyroid state from no longer constantly spiking prolactin.

 

[57andFAT]

post 112440 A man who Is hypothyroid is not worthy of spreading his seed and pro-creating. It is not advantageous to evolution. Most men are masturbating out of habit. And to reduce stress hormones from being hypothyroid. Chinese medicine compares masturbation to a form of suicide.

Thanks answersfound ol buddy. Very enlightening, not to mention encouraging and reassuring.

So, considering what you've briefly explained there, I must assume as you clearly have, that I am:
a) Hypothyroid (I didn't say I am hypothyroid, I merely suggested it as a possible explanation for my weight gain among other things) and
b) a chronic habitual wanker, even though I have zero interest in sex (i.e. low to no libido) and cannot get an erection let alone masturbate;
the best solution to quickly end all of my woes would be to... KILL myself?

Okay, well I'll certainly give it some SERIOUS thought - don't see much point in hanging around any longer anyway - I'm just an oxygen thief and not advantageous to evolution.

I just wonder though if you're correct, how the heck I was even born at all - surely one of my parents must have been hypothyroid and not worthy of spreading his seed. but somehow he did. Who allowed that to happen?

 

[answersfound]

post 112440 A man who Is hypothyroid is not worthy of spreading his seed and pro-creating. It is not advantageous to evolution. Most men are masturbating out of habit. And to reduce stress hormones from being hypothyroid. Chinese medicine compares masturbation to a form of suicide.

Thanks answersfound ol buddy. Very enlightening, not to mention encouraging and reassuring.

So, considering what you've briefly explained there, I must assume as you clearly have, that I am:
a) Hypothyroid (I didn't say I am hypothyroid, I merely suggested it as a possible explanation for my weight gain among other things) and
b) a chronic habitual wanker, even though I have zero interest in sex (i.e. low to no libido) and cannot get an erection let alone masturbate;
the best solution to quickly end all of my woes would be to... KILL myself?

Okay, well I'll certainly give it some SERIOUS thought - don't see much point in hanging around any longer anyway - I'm just an oxygen thief and not advantageous to evolution.

I just wonder though if you're correct, how the heck I was even born at all - surely one of my parents must have been hypothyroid and not worthy of spreading his seed. but somehow he did. Who allowed that to happen?

I was making a general statement about my views on masturbation. This was NOT directed towards your situation. The beauty of Peating is that we can transform our health and become healthy individuals. It happens around here time and time again. I myself had a problem with chronic masturbation. I have no clue in regards to what your habits are. i was just sharing my beliefs. I was just responding to the post I quoted. I didn't even read your initial post thoroughly. I was suggesting that we shouldn't be creating life until we are healthy ourselves, because that would be creating a life that is destined to suffer.

 

[halken]

post 112469

post 112440 A man who Is hypothyroid is not worthy of spreading his seed and pro-creating. It is not advantageous to evolution. Most men are masturbating out of habit. And to reduce stress hormones from being hypothyroid. Chinese medicine compares masturbation to a form of suicide.

Thanks answersfound ol buddy. Very enlightening, not to mention encouraging and reassuring.

So, considering what you've briefly explained there, I must assume as you clearly have, that I am:
a) Hypothyroid (I didn't say I am hypothyroid, I merely suggested it as a possible explanation for my weight gain among other things) and
b) a chronic habitual wanker, even though I have zero interest in sex (i.e. low to no libido) and cannot get an erection let alone masturbate;
the best solution to quickly end all of my woes would be to... KILL myself?

Okay, well I'll certainly give it some SERIOUS thought - don't see much point in hanging around any longer anyway - I'm just an oxygen thief and not advantageous to evolution.

I just wonder though if you're correct, how the heck I was even born at all - surely one of my parents must have been hypothyroid and not worthy of spreading his seed. but somehow he did. Who allowed that to happen?

Unfortunately, this is how 80% of the people here behave. Don't take it personally. Totalitarianism (followed by extreme physicalism) is the conventional wisdom here.

Depression is definitely the core factor (not hypothryoidism). Focus on depression. Look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs and do that for a year. Meditation would be a good step too. Then try to structure purpose into your life. Life is ultimately purposeful. You need to feel that. I recommend learning how to plan and do things that you are afraid of. Meet your dreams in reality etc etc.

"Old" is just a term culturally ingrained by the media etc so stop focusing on that. Cultural norms are toxic anyway and are best avoided. You need to seek authenticity and expressing it idiosyncratically.

All your problems might very well stem from this.

Live a fearless life. Step outside the zone of comfort and grow.

A caterpillar must endure pain by awareness, self-compassion, self-acceptance and self-obedience in order for it to transform into a butterfly.

Good luck.

 

[57andFAT]

post 112470 I was making a general statement about my views on masturbation. This was NOT directed towards your situation. The beauty of Peating is that we can transform our health and become healthy individuals. It happens around here time and time again.

Hi answers, Yes I realized that - I was just kidding However I decided to say what I did to let you know just how easily your comment could also have been taken completely out of context.
I've actually read a few of your posts and I can see you've had more than your fair share of problems in life, yet you have a real get up and go attitude, thus are making great progress.. You are a young guy which gives you plenty of time to find exactly what direction in life you should be headed.
I certainly envy you in some ways, not only because you're so young and have our whole life ahead of you, but you seem to have managed under your own powers of determination and tenacity, to have climbed out of a very deep hole you had been stuck down for a good portion of your life.
I'm in an even deeper hole than you were in, so I really need an attitude like yours to find my way out of it. Maybe you and others like you here can throw me a rope or two that I might be able grab hold of and eventually pull myself out?

I have struggled with weight control on/off most of my life - started getting chubby when I was about 17, but managed to keep it under control, yet probably at great expense to my health.
What I'm finding now that I'm older, is that I not only put on weight almost by simply looking at delicious foods, it's also MUCH harder to shed the flab once it's gained, than what it was when I was in my 20s, 30s and even 40s.
I used to do stupid things like skip entire meals or, if I really wanted to lose some weight quickly, not eat at all for several days!I haven't eaten any lunch at all, except on very special occasions for about 20 years.
I now understand the foolishness of what I was doing most of my adult life and that those practices probably intensified any issues I already had with metabolism - slowing it down even further. Maybe to the point of causing hypothyroidism?
I still cannot grasp in my mind, the concept of eating many high protein meals and lots of carbs (and calories). To me this entirely contradicts my basic beliefs about how one should eat - it still means I'll only make myself even fatter! Yet there are many here and all over the world who can all testify that following Ray Peat's recommended high protein meals and other practices (that I've always considered to be 'dietary sins') who are now enjoying very healthy and vibrant lifestyles...
I am really a simpleton when it comes to what should be the most important subject in anyone's life (food and nutrition), but as far as I know it's simply: MF=Fb + LF=Sb
Where: b = body, M = More, F = FAT, L = Less, S = Slim.
I have a long way to go...

I am totally ignorant of the principles of any dietary advice - it's all so contrary - none seems to make any sense to me now, because so few of the nutrition 'gurus' agree on much. So who do I believe, whose advice is the best advice, what is true and what isn't?

It's not only my weight and sexuality (or lack thereof), that bothers me: I am also very negative, always tired and UNMOTIVATED - to do anything. However, worse are my moods. I seem to be becoming angrier and angrier by the day. 'Irritable' just doesn't cover it. I feel like I will soon explode! I can't believe how short tempered I've become. Any tiny little thing can set my off into an all but uncontrollable RAGE!

I hope someone here can help me to start on the right track, because I have NO IDEA other than I've been doing everything WRONG for far too long!

 

[HLP]

Absolutely finding a doctor who will supplement your thyroid function is the most vital thing to focus on. Stop any and all strenuous exercise because that just becomes a 'tug of war" with low thyroid function. Some resistance training is healthy. Get some Progest E, it's amazing stuff. Once you get the proper help it will take a few months to turn things around so keep positive. The body loves routine, especially with sleep. You are in the right place to get well.

 

[tara]

post 112586 I seem to be becoming angrier and angrier by the day. 'Irritable' just doesn't cover it. I feel like I will soon explode! I can't believe how short tempered I've become. Any tiny little thing can set my off into an all but uncontrollable RAGE!

I haven't got my temper completely sorted by any means, but I think it's improved lately.
1. I'm much more prone when i'm hungry ('hangry'), so not going too long between meals is helpful for me. I've noticed it in other people too, but the time frame varies quite a bit.
2. If I've got enough fuel on board, the next thing I check is breathing and physical relaxation. Sometimes a few short breath holds, or deliberately relaxing and slowing breathing can help. CO2 tends to calm nerves. Emotional upset often exacerbates chronic hidden hyperventilation. (Peat recognises the importance of CO2, but the rest of this is not from him).
3. I think improving mineral status has probably helped with both breathing and calmness. Eg Mg supplementation.
4. Sometimes it has been helpful to have someone listen to me rant, but it doesn't always help - sometimes it just leaves me more into angry mode.
5. But not least, has been the repeated decision to stop doing angry responses, and to replace it with focussing on what I can do to improve the situation.

I think generally improving metabolism and health can make a big difference to how much resources we bring to bear to stresssful situation, and therefore how stressful we find them, and ow relaxed we can be a bout thinking and handling them well.

 

[tara]

post 112586 I seem to be becoming angrier and angrier by the day. 'Irritable' just doesn't cover it. I feel like I will soon explode! I can't believe how short tempered I've become. Any tiny little thing can set my off into an all but uncontrollable RAGE!

I haven't got my temper completely sorted by any means, but I think it's improved lately.
1. I'm much more prone when i'm hungry ('hangry'), so not going too long between meals is helpful for me. I've noticed it in other people too, but the time frame varies quite a bit.
2. If I've got enough fuel on board, the next thing I check is breathing and physical relaxation. Sometimes a few short breath holds, or deliberately relaxing and slowing breathing can help. CO2 tends to calm nerves. Emotional upset often exacerbates chronic hidden hyperventilation. (Peat recognises the importance of CO2, but the rest of this is not from him).
3. I think improving mineral status has probably helped with both breathing and calmness. Eg Mg supplementation.
4. Sometimes it has been helpful to have someone listen to me rant, but it doesn't always help - sometimes it just leaves me more into angry mode.
5. But not least, has been the repeated decision to stop doing angry responses, and to replace it with focussing on what I can do to improve the situation.

I think generally improving metabolism and health can make a big difference to how much resources we bring to bear to stresssful situation, and therefore how stressful we find them, and ow relaxed we can be a bout thinking and handling them well.

 

[Matt1951]

Eliminate polyunsaturated fat from your diet; will take up to 4 years to get the full benefit.
Get adequate protein.
Eat fruit/fruit juice. Add sugar to diet.
Use low fat dairy for calcium.
Don't worry about weight until your metabolism is higher. Higher calories = higher metabolism.
Use Viagra for ED.

 

[tara]

post 116703 Use Viagra for ED.

Up to you of course, but I think Peat advises against tactics that rely on raising NO, which I think is the mechanism for viagra. Excessive NO has its downsides.

I like the other suggestions.